The digital demands placed on today’s quick-service restaurants have never been higher. Operators are expected to deliver seamless, brand-consistent customer experiences across every touchpoint – from in-store kiosks and drive-thru lanes – as well as real-time and tailored content that’s shared across those touchpoints. But in reality, modernizing digital operations across thousands of locations often means coordinating with multiple vendors, platforms, and technologies; an effort that can quickly overwhelm even the most experienced teams.
Coates Group, a global leader in connected restaurant experience ecosystems, is tackling that complexity head on. With more than 60 years of QSR experience, Coates offers an end-to-end approach to digital transformation, combining connected hardware, powerful software, scalable and sustainable content management, and strategic deployment and support services, all under one roof.
“It isn’t just about putting technology into a drive-thru or hanging a screen on a wall,” says Henry Mowat, President of Coates Group North America. “It’s about understanding the experience you’re intending to create, developing the best end-to-end solution to bring that vision to life, and then scaling that experience into every location.”
That customer-centric mindset is what drives Coates’ integrated model. The company collaborates closely with both brand leadership and franchisees to understand operational workflows and business goals before designing and deploying tailored solutions and end-to-end services at scale. Whether that means off-hour installations to avoid lost sales or modular enclosures built to evolve with new screen technologies, Coates ensures implementation and ongoing improvements don’t interrupt the guest experience.
“We really focus on how we fit into existing operating models and stay flexible with our installation process, so we can minimize any disruption to operations,” Mowat says. “Because at the end of the day, if the technology is really difficult to get into the location, that affects the overall experience.”
A major value add for operators is Coates Group’s centralized content management system, Switchboard™, which allows for scalable content customization by region, market, or even co-op without compromising consistency.
“We want the right content showing in the right location at the right time,” Mowat says. “You generally need to build with a targeted approach—breaking down the customer’s needs from regions to states to co-ops—before you get to that personalized content journey.”
That personalization is matched by adaptability on the hardware side. “A lot of our drive-thru or outdoor solutions are developed to be screen agnostic,” Mowat adds. “That just extends the life of the product and gives brands a better return on investment.”
Coates also builds with employees in mind. “Making the crew person’s life easier is a huge enabler to crew satisfaction—which in turn is an enabler to customer satisfaction,” Mowat says. “We try to create products that not only deliver on a customer journey but also deliver benefits for the crew.”
According to Yodeck survey results, 82 percent of operators who implemented digital signage reported increased sales, and 77 percent saw improved customer satisfaction. That kind of impact matters, especially in high-volume restaurant environments where every second and every transaction counts.
From reducing print and installation costs to unlocking data-backed promotions and personalization, the returns for operators are measurable. “We’ve seen sales lift under a digital experience,” Mowat says. “And we’ve also seen the enablement of future technologies—like dynamic suggestive selling, loyalty, and automated order taking—that would otherwise be impossible to implement without a digital foundation.”
Ultimately, Coates Group sees itself not just as a vendor, but as a partner. “We’re not here to push a product,” Mowat says. “We want to partner with brands that want to create experiences and make the customer journey as seamless as possible.”
For more on how Coates Group helps quick-service brands, visit their website.
By Drew Filipski
